エネルギー資源としてのリチウム

抄録

Until around 1950, the consumption of lithium and its compounds was relatively small in industry where the utilization of lithium was limited to manufacturing glass, ceramics, metal-alloy and some other minor materials. However, in the 1950's, the demand of ⁶ Li increased in the production of nuclear weapons resulting in a large scale production and stock-pile of lithium in 1957. Further, the oil-shock in the late 1.973 promoted battery technology for electric vehicles and energy storage batteries in both of which lithium batteries will be used.
In as much as the resources of crude oils and coals are limited, we have to seek other sources of energies. The study of nuclear fusion technology to obtain our future energy predicts that the nuclear fusion energy will be available commercially in the early twenty first century, although the technology is yet to develop. Liquid lithium is necessary for the heat transfer medium and coolant surrounding the reactor cores. Lithium is also an essential element to supply tritium in the fusion reaction of deuterium and tritium to yiel the energy.
The importance of lithium is paramount to our current and future energy problems. We ought to have a firm information on the natural resources of lithium and its compounds. Therefore, this paper describes the resources, and the current demands and usages of lithium in the world, and discuss the future application of lithium as an energy supplying element.